I went to a local gun store today and picked out a sako 85 hunter in a 30-06. I was seriously considering conetrol mounts but after talking with the sako dealer I am pretty sure I want to go with the optilock (sako factory) rings and bases. They are about 50 bucks each and if price is judge, I'd say they are more than adequate for my setup. The scope I have is a S&B Zenith 3-12x50. I do not have a need for any sort of quick detach. The dealer I talked to told me that in his experience with the sako rifles they sell and a centered scope, there will be very minimal windage adjustments necessary.

I don't own a Sako but I do own several Tikkas. As for the Tikka (same mounting set-up as Sako), I really like Warne rings for strength and design. I have owned Conetrols before, look great, didn't hold well. Never owned Sako rings.

Freedom is something you take.Respect is something you earn.Equality is something you whine about not being given.

I like the Talley rings for Sako. Here they are on my Sako 75, which uses the same mounts as the Sako 85:

I've never had any problems whatsoever with Conetrols, but I've never used their DapTar bases, which you would use for the Sako, so I don't have any basis of comparison on their Sako mounts. I have never had any Conetrol mount not hold up to rugged use.

I have mixed feelings about the OptiLok mounts -- they perfectly match your Sako's finish, so they look nice, and they have the self aligning inserts. However, they're also WAY too high and the screw heads seem to strip very easily! I would personally pass on the OptiLoks and get either the Talley, Warne, or maybe Conetrol. The Leupold Ringmounts seem pretty decent as well.

Ted

Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.

Well on the height, I need a high-ish mount for the 50mm objective so low or med rings should work correct? And regarding the screw heads, I do not plan on ever removing the scope so I don't think that will matter. But it is definitely a consideration. I think it will come down to whether the rings are too high. The gun hasn't come in yet so I still have time to make a change on the mounts. It will be a game time decision but if I don't go with the optiloks I think it will either be talley or conetrol - whichever I can get quicker :).

Here are the Optilok "LOW" stainless finish rings on my Sako 75 Varmint. That's a 50mm objective scope mounted on the rifle, yet there's still about 3/16" of clearance between the objective bell and the barrel -- and again, those are "LOW" rings! Height isn't too bad with a 50mm scope, but with any objective diameter smaller than 50mm, even the low rings are too high IMO! The really thick bases are what makes these mounts so $#Q!#%! high! I don't understand the purpose for the bases and why Sako didn't choose to design the rings to mount directly to the integral receiver grooves. They show integral OL ringmounts on their website, but I called Beretta about them and best I can tell, they aren't available in the U.S.

The screws were on the verge of stripping while I was torquing them when initially installing the scope, using the 2.5mm hex key provided with the rings. I don't understand why all ring manufacturers don't use Torx screws in this day and age. I don't think the OLs are bad rings, they just wouldn't be my first choice if I had it to do over again. Again, I do like the fact they have the ring inserts.

Edited by RifleDude

Ted

Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.

Well I picked up my gun today. Unfortunately the bases ordered did not fit the scope. The bell is somewhat long on the zenith and since the ring was toward the front of the front receiver, it did not line up with the tube (the tube wasn't long enough to rest on both bases). So I called conetrol and the guy is out of town until the 20th. I called Talley and their sako guy wasn't in. I called SWFA and they didn't see any Talleys that fit a sako. I called S&K and apparently they took off early on Friday. Goodness...sure seems like a lot of trouble. The gunsmith I ordered my gun through is going to look for some other optilok bases to see if any will work with the zenith. Also he said according to optilocks table, a 50mm objective would work with their extra low mounts. Seem weird but I read it also.

Whether you're talking to Warne, Talley, Conetrol, S&K or whomever, just let them know your 3-12X50 Zenith has a 5.6" mounting length and they should be able to tell you whether or not their mounts will fit your scope when installed on a Sako 85 long action. One of the advantages of Conetrol is that they have rings to fit pretty much any conceivable combination of rifle and scope.

Ted

Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.

Just FYI, I measured the ring spacing of my Sako 75 / Talley setup pictured above and it is 5.030" outside to outside, so with these rings setup the same way on your rifle, you would have nearly 0.600" of extra tube length beyond the max width of the rings. I believe you said your Sako 85 is chambered in .30-06, and my rifle is in .25-06, so it's the same length action. Although the Sako 75 and 85 use the same mounts, I don't know for certain if there are differences in the location of the tapered receiver grooves that might cause the ring spacing on the 85 to be different from the 75. But, what I can tell you is that the Talley mounts pictured above would work fine with your scope if they locate the same way on your rifle as they do mine.

Ted

Money can't buy happiness... but it's much more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than on a bicycle.

You and me both! I have been really busy but the mounts actually came in. I am out of town for a couple of days this week though and can't get to the shop to pick them up and have the scope mounted. I did fire some 150 gr rounds out of it just to feel it. It was pretty nice. I hope to get it all set up by saturday.

Yea I am very happy with it. The only thing I can think of is that the front bases come over the action part. It doesn't interfere with the cartridge on extraction though and I guess that is what matters. After about 15 or 20 rounds though I had to switch shoulders. It was probably how I was holding it on my shoulder. It's sighted in at 100yds and with the two bullet brands I shot was on center at 100yds.

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